Now, if upon trial it be found the child is dead, let the mother do all she can to forward the delivery, because a dead child can in no wise be helpful therein.  It will be necessary, therefore, that she take some comfortable things to prevent her fainting, by reason of the putrid vapours arising from the dead child.  And in order to her delivery let her take the following herbs boiled in white wine (or at least as many of them as you can get), viz., dittany, betony, pennyroyal, sage, feverfew, centaury, ivy leaves and berries.  Let her also take sweet basil in powder, and half a drachm at a time in white wine; let her privities also be anointed with the juice of the garden tansey.  Or take the tansey in the summer when it can most plentifully be had, and before it runs up to flower, and having bruised it well, boil it in oil until the juice of it be consumed.  If you set it in the sun, after you have mixed it with oil, it will be more effectual.  This, an industrious midwife, who would be prepared against all events, ought to have always by her.  As to the manner of her delivery, the same methods must be used as are mentioned in the section of natural labour.  And here again, I cannot but commend the stone aetites, held near the privities, whose magnetic virtue renders it exceedingly necessary on this occasion, for it draws the child any way with the same facility that the load-stone draws iron.

Let the midwife also make a strong decoction of hyssop with water, and let the woman drink it very hot, and it will in a little time bring away the dead child.

If, as soon as she is delivered of the dead child, you are in doubt that part of the afterbirth is left behind in the body (for in such cases as these many times it rots, and comes away piece-meal), let her continue drinking the same decoction until her body be cleansed.

A decoction made of herbs, muster-wort, used as you did the decoction of hyssop, works the effect.  Let the midwife also take the roots of pollodum and stamp them well; warm them a little and bind them on the sides of her feet, and it will soon bring away the child either dead or alive.

The following medicines also are such as stir up the expulsive faculty, but in this case they must be stronger, because the motion of the child ceases.

Take savine, round birthwort, trochisks of myrrh, castor, cinnamon and saffron, each half a drachm; make a powder, give a drachm.

Or she may purge first, and then apply an emollient, anointing her about the womb with oil of lilies, sweet almonds, camomiles, hen and goose-grease.  Also foment to get out the child, with a decoction of mercury, orris, wild cucumbers, saecus, broom flowers.  Then anoint the privities and loins with ointment of sow-bread.  Or, take coloquintida, agaric, birthwort, of each a drachm; make a powder, add ammoniacum dissolved in wine, ox-gall, each two drachms.  Or make a fume with an ass’s hoof burnt, or gallianum, or castor, and let it be taken in with a funnel.